Hariel slept through the entire flight, the past couple of days worrying had kept her up most nights, but being in the air even though she couldn't feel the wind on her face soothed her.
Her uncle shook her awake gwntky.
"C'mon Hariel, we landed." Her uncle said, he looked tired yet happy. Hariel rubbed her eyes and yawned. She stretched and hears her back crack.
"Okay," she mumbled, she felt tired and cranky but she knew how to hide that. She shouldered her bag as she stood. Her uncle said that they'd pick her suitcase as they exited the airport.
"So are we getting picked up or?" Hariel asked, as they got off the plane making their way to the baggage claim.
"We are getting picked up. My son has the car, and he wanted to meet you." Her uncle said as they made their way through the airport. "I have to call Joey. So I'll be right over there." He said Ponting at phone booths. She noticed one said international calling. Her thoughts went straight to Herman and Ron.
"Is it okay if I call my friends to let then know we landed safely? Knowing Herman and Ron if I don't call them they'll be on the first flight here." She said, knowing Herman was probably counting the minutes from her landing.
"Yeah so you need change?" He asked, she shook her head.
"No thanks. Its going to be a quick call." She promised, as she stepped towards the phone.
She put in Herman' s number that she had memorized in her 1st year. She swiped her credir card amd was told she be respisible for paying for the call. It rang once and she was answered with a happy sigh.
"Thank Merlin! I was so worried. How'd the flight go? Have you eaten? Are you still at the airport? How's your uncle and cousin? Do you like them?" Herman asked, his questions rapid fire. She laughed, hearing him calmed her nerves.
"I slept the entire time, we ate before we got to the airport, i met my uncle I like him, my cousin is going to pick us up so I haven't met him yet." Hariel said answering all the questions, knowing Herman would continue to badger her untill she answrred.
"Oh I'm so glad." He said, relief clear in his tone. Hariel smiled. Herman told her about how the Weasleys were going to Egypt again to visit bill and that they had invited him. She made an agreement, then She saw her uncle nod and then smiled and hung up the phone. He exited the booth and looked to be waiting patiently for her to finish her comverstation.
"You should go. Itll look great on applications for apprenticeships. But From the looks of it. My cousin is waiting for us. So I'll call you soon. I might end up getting a cellphone. I'll talk to you later Herman. Mail Ron for me please." Hariel said softly. "I love you" she added. He replied that he loved her too and that he would do what she said.
She hung up with a promise to call him before he left for eygpt.
"Joey said he's pulling up now. So cmon, time to meet him." Her uncle said picking up her suitcase as she followed behind him. Slightly nervouse, hoping that Joey was much nicer than Dudley.
Her uncle lead her to a slightly beat up four door car, it was grey, either with some dirt or it's actual paint job, but it looked well cared for. A blonde teenager jumped out of the car, his amber eyes alight, a happy go luck smile on his face.
"My boy, Joey this is Hariel. Hariel this is joey." Her uncle said Hariel made to shake his hand, but he pulled her into a hug, she stiffened at first but relaxed soon after.
"Nice ta meet cha cuz. " he said, happily. Hariel laughed.
"Nice to meet you too." She said, she looked to see her uncle was.wiping tears from his eyes.
"Let's get into the car so we can get home." Her uncle said. Joey nodded, he picked up the suitcase from where uncle.Tony left it and opened up the boot.of the car.
Hariel slid into the back seat and waited for them to get buckled up. Her uncle Tony slid into the driver seat and her cousin got in the passenger side.
The 30 minute drive from the airport to the apartment was spent with Joey talking and Hariel Listening. He told her of his little sister, her cousin Serenity. His placement in Duelist Kingdom. When she had explained she had no idea what that was, he went into a long explanation of a game called Duel monsters.
"Tomorrow when dad goes to work and if you're up for it we can go to my friend Yugi's grandpa's cardshop." Joey said, looking at his father who nodded.
"Yugi's a good boy. But you keep Tristain away" Uncle.Tony said, Hariel frowned, not understanding.
"You'll meet the group if you're up for it." Joey said, Hariel nodded gratefully.
Her uncle.pulled.into a large apartment complex, that uncle Vernon would've scoffed at. It wasn't in the bad area of town, but neither was it in a place like Privit Drive.
Hariel thought it was wonderful. She told her uncle that, he and Joey gave out a sigh of relief. It seems they had been worried. Hariel looked around and saw children playing in a little.play area, their mothers around the play area watching them yet still making light converstation.
"Cmon, I'll show you the apartment. Its a little higher up than our old one but it has the extra room we needed for you" Joey said. Hariel turned to look at joey, who seemed to caught onto what he said.
"Joseph!" His father said,Joey gave a nervous laugh. Hariel was shocked. Her uncle who she had never met, moved apartments just so she cOuld have a room. She felt tears want to fall. But she smiled and wiped and semi wet eyes.
"Thank you Uncle Tony."she whispered hoarsly. He smiled at her,
"Of course Hariel." He said gruffly. Hariel smiled brightly and turned to Joey who was smiling.
"My friend Tea, helped decorate your room, you can change it if you want" Joey said as he lead her up the stairs to their apartment on the 5th level.
"Slow down kids. I'm not as young as I use to be." Her uncle said huffing and puffing as he slowly followed them. He was red faced, Hariel giggled and made to stop but Joey dragged her along. And for a strange reason she didn't try to pull away like she normally would've had anyone else did that.
"C'mon old man I know you can walk faster than that." Joey taunted. Hariel looked towards her cousin to see he was just teasing his father who was also grinning.
They stopped infrony of a bluish green door with the numbers 374 on it.
Joey motioned for her to move aside as he patted his pockets looking for his keys. She fiddled with her long t-shirt.
"Ahha ya sneaky bastards I found you." Joey muttered as he finally slide the key into the lock and unlocked the door. Joey allowed her to step into the apartment first and she was struck with how homey it felt.
Most of the pictures included a younger Joey and a small brown haired girl, that must have been Serenity. She thought.
And then their was some that had a group of teenagers, 1 girl and 4 boys. One boy had white hair another had browm, them it was Joey and then it was a starfish shaped hair that was tricolored. She wanted to ask of it was natural but decided against it.
Hariel watched as her uncle looked around the apartment and patted Joey on the back.
"Your room is the one with the bigger closet. So that would be the first room on the right. From what I know of girls they like clothes. My friend Mai. She lovesss shopping, and so does Tea so I'm sure you like shopping too." Joey said, Hariel felt her lips twitch into a slight smile.
"Thank you." She whispered, her green eyes were overflowing with tears but she rubbed her hand over her eyes.
She was greatful that her uncle and cousin didn't comment on the tears.
"Have you eaten Joey?" Her uncle said as he went to the kitchen, Hariel shook her head lightly trying to clear her senses.
"Yeah before I went to grab you and Ellie, Yug and I grabbed a burger." Joey explained, Hariel felt confused, that was a first time anyone even thought to call her Ellie. Most of her friends just called her Hari.
"Joey. Her name is Hariel, use it." Uncle Tony said, Hariel shrugged.
"He can call me that if he wants. I don't mind." She said rubbing the back of her neck. Her uncle shook his head with a grin. It was one of the better nicknames she's had.
"Well, kiddos I don't know about you all but I'm super tired so I'm going to hit the hay. Hariel if you need anything don't be afraid to wake me up, or you can ask Joey." Her uncle said yawning. Hariel nodded, and looked at her cousin who was grinning.
Her uncle made his way to the room at the end of the hallway and closed the door.
"Are you tired?" Joey asked, Hariel wanted to say yes, but she was use to the near exhaustion when doing her chores for the Dursleys. She shook her head and Joey grinned, her cousin looked like he was always happy.
"Maybe we can push that meeting to today." Joey said, Hariel felt nervous yet excited. She looked down at herself and grimaced.
"Would I be able to shower first? I feel gross." Hariel said, her cousin nodded and told her the bathroom was on the 2nd door on the left. She picked up her suitcase and first went to her new room.
She hasn't expected much, maybe a bed and desk but her room was so beautiful she felt like crying more. It was simple but it had that look that they put effort into putting her room together.
The room was painted white like the rest of the apartment, but in the corner of her room was a single bed with light blue sheets and a pillow, sitting on the pillow was a pink ball like fairy thing. She thought it looked cute, hanging from the cileing were fairy lights, that she hadn't turned on her but she was excited. On the opposite wall was a white dresser that doubled as a vanity.
She was shocked it was so simple, but they did all of this for her.
She bit her lip and made a note to do something special for her uncle and cousin. Maybe make them their favorite food. She thought as she absent mindly picked out something to wear, and grabbed her shower items and went to take a quick shower.
*Joey's p.o.v*
Joey quickly dialed his best friends number, he was excited.
"Yug! Are you busy?" He asked into his phone, as he heard the water begin to run.
"No Gramps and I just finished putting up the merch. Did you go get your dad and cousin?" Yugi asked, Joey began to nod but then remembered that yugi wouldn't have been able to see it.
"Yeah, dad's sleeping already since he works tomorrow, but Ellie said she wasn't tired so I suggested that she come with me to the game shop," Joey explained, he was looking around the apartment, his friends had been a bug help unpacking and moving everything.
"That'd be cool! I'll call Tea and Ryou, and you can text Tristan! And we can get to know her!" Yugi said, he sounded as excited as he felt. He began to ramble about a welcome gift when he interrupted.
"Yes! Thanks yugi we'll be there soon." Joey said, the water turned off. "I'll call Tristan right now. See ya Yug." Joey said with a affirmative from Yugi, Joey hung up to text his best friend from child hood.
When he got a message back from his friend saying that's hed be at the game shop Joey could do a happy dance.
But he was saved from dancing when Hariel came out of the bathroom, she was towel drying her hair, but she was dressed in dark jeans and a green shirt.
"You ready Ellie?" He asked, she nodded and went back into her room to grab her shoes.
While she did that, he left a note on the counter telling,his dad where they went.
She came out seconds later with a small black purse.
"I'm ready." She said grinning shyly. He motioned for her to follow him out of the apartment and down to the car.
It was time for Hariel to meet his friends, and Joey couldn't wait.